Crime & Safety
Hopkins Man Arrested for Possession of Burglary Tools
Police say James Wayne Russell was arrested near a shuttered Minneapolis elementary school with a wire cutter, a screwdriver and a box cutter in his backpack.
A Hopkins man was arrested after officers caught him behind a shuttered Minneapolis school with a wire cutter, a screwdriver and a box cutter in his possession, police say.
James Wayne Russell, 41, is charged with possession of burglary or theft tools, a felony with a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
According to the criminal complaint, signed by Minneapolis Police Sgt. Angela Dodge, police were called to the closed Shingle Creek Elementary School at 5034 Oliver Ave. N. on Sept. 18 after someone reported seeing a man inside the building.
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Police searched the outside of the building and spotted Russell walking away, according to the complaint.
When they confronted him, Russell told officers that he was walking away from a friend’s house but couldn’t provide an address, the complaint charges.
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Police searched Russell’s backpack and found “numerous” tools, including a wire cutter, a screwdriver and a box cutter, all of which are commonly used in burglaries, according to authorities.
Russell admitted to police that he had previously been arrested for possession of burglary tools, the complaint says. A check of Russell’s criminal history showed that he had outstanding felony warrants charging him with possession of burglary tools in Hopkins and theft in Brooklyn Center.
Russell remains in the Hennepin County Jail on a $3,000 bond. He is scheduled to make a first appearance on the charge Sept. 27 in Hennepin County District Court.
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